A Caffrey Christmas Carol

Christmas Past

Cosmically next door to Neal's loft.

"We didn't leave your loft," Henry insisted.

Neal nodded. He agreed they hadn't moved after that flash of light accompanying Mozzie's disappearance, but the fact remained that they were now standing in an unfamiliar living room.

"Oh, they're here already."

Neal sighed a breath of relief. That was Elizabeth's voice, which meant Peter was probably around, too. In fact, he walked into the room a moment later carrying a plate of brownies. "Welcome! It's a cold night. Care for a warm brownie?"

Henry automatically reached for the plate, but Neal grabbed his arm. "This all started with drinking Mozzie's strange wine. Do you really want to eat the first thing offered to you in this dreamscape?"

"You think it's like Alice in Wonderland, and the food is going to make us grow or shrink?"

"Who knows?" Neal turned to Peter and Elizabeth. El was wearing a white doctor's jacket over a tight blue sweater and bellbottom jeans, and Peter's hair was inexplicably bushier.

Well, there was an explanation, if he was willing to believe these weren't the Burkes, but were instead Professor Peter Gilman and his wife, Doctor Elizabeth Wayland.

A moan caught Neal's attention. Henry was eating one of the brownies and was in chocolate bliss. "You're missing out, man. They taste as good as they smell," he said before popping the rest of the brownie in his mouth. When Neal glared at him, he shrugged and swallowed. "You said it yourself, it's just a dream. All of the taste, none of the calories. Might was well enjoy the food."

"If this is all a dream, which one of you is dreaming it?" Elizabeth asked.

"I am," Neal and Henry said at the same time.

"What do you think are the chances that you're both having the same dream?" she continued.

Neal looked at Henry, "You're the one with the degrees in psychology."

That comment caused El to look at Henry speculatively, as if this were news to her.

Henry picked out another brownie. "The exact same dream, it's almost unheard of."

"What's going on here?" Neal asked.

Peter shook his head and said to his wife, "I knew Dante would botch the explanations. He assumes everyone is already on his wavelength."

Neal crossed his arms. "How about filling in the gaps? I get that you're supposed to be the 1970s Arkham version of the Peter and El we know, but why bring us here? And if this isn't a dream, how did we get here?"

Peter looked perplexed a moment. Then he gestured for them to sit down, but he remained standing like a professor used to speaking in front of a lecture hall. "I have to keep reminding myself you aren't the Neal I know. You look so much alike, it's throwing me off my game a little, to be honest."

"Are we so different?" Neal asked.

Henry snorted. "Neal Carter is a softened version of you, meant to gain a specific reader's sympathy. He's younger, nerdier, and less sure of himself."

"I thought you hadn't been reading Diana's stories," Neal said.

"I'm a fast learner." Turning to Peter he recommended, "Focus on me instead of Neal if it helps move this along."

Peter nodded and said, "You're familiar with Newton's laws of motion? Specifically, that every action provokes an equal and opposite reaction?"

Neal and Henry both nodded.